Signature - Q4, 2007 - (Page 28)

Bluetooth Technology Online | By Karen D. Schwartz | Q4 ‘07 Gennum Corp. knows the value of savvy marketing. Get on the List The Bluetooth SIG, Inc. developed the End Product Listing (EPL) program to let members showcase products on Bluetooth.com’s Product Directory at no cost. Free advertising? You bet. Thousands of potential customers will see your product and know it meets the qualification standards of the Bluetooth SIG. And listing a product is simple. The manufacturer of semiconductor solutions for the global video, data communications and audio markets has made good use of the Bluetooth SIG’s End Product Listing (EPL) service, available through Bluetooth.org. The service lets Bluetooth SIG members create product descriptions viewable by consumers at www.bluetooth.com/Bluetooth/Connect/Products, the Bluetooth SIG’s Product Directory. The service is free of charge, so there’s a clear marketing advantage for members, and there are now more than 2,000 products in the directory. As Gennum has found, the beneﬁts of creating EPLs are clear and immediate. “By pointing customers to our listings on Bluetooth.com’s Product Directory, we’re showing that we’re an early adopter and active participant within the global Bluetooth development community, and that we’re compliant with the certiﬁcation process and all of the latest speciﬁcations and features within the 2.0 + EDR standard,” says Randall Mileski, senior systems designer in Gennum’s Audio and Wireless division in Burlington, Ontario. He also points out that the Product Directory has generated many e-mail inquiries from potential customers. Because Bluetooth.com is the premier source of information about Bluetooth technology, it’s often the ﬁrst place consumers visit when researching the wireless standard or the commercial products that use it. This makes the site and its Product Directory invaluable marketing tools for Bluetooth SIG members. Companies can highlight their products’ functionality to a receptive audience at a site that receives more than 500,000 unique visits per month, while consumers can have conﬁdence that the manufacturers have met all requirements for qualiﬁcation and are offering genuine Bluetooth enabled devices. In addition, by listing their products manufacturers automatically satisfy the Bluetooth SIG’s Program Reference Document (PRD) 2.0 marking requirement, which requires that all products have a Qualiﬁed Design Listing (QDL). Creating an EPL also helps products clear customs faster. Because only qualiﬁed products can be listed in the Product Directory, manufacturers shipping products overseas to other markets can quickly prove to customs ofﬁcials that their products are genuine, helping reduce time to market. The EPL program has other beneﬁts as well. Motorola Inc., a Promoter member and strong program supporter, believes the Product Directory builds awareness by educating consumers. A company spokesman said Motorola gets a steady stream of consumers referred from the site. These customers are usually well-informed about Motorola’s products and have a high interest in purchasing the company’s Bluetooth enabled products. Karen D. Schwartz is a Washington, D.C.-based technology writer. IT’S SIMPLE, FAST AND FREE | Bluetooth.com Product Directory Here’s how to get your product listed . . . 1 / Log on to Bluetooth.org. 2 / On the “All Qualiﬁed Designs” page scroll down to the appropriate qualiﬁed design. 3 / Click on the link marked “Create a new EPL.” 4 / Complete the form, including product info with an image and geographic availability. The listing appears on the directory upon approval by a Bluetooth SIG staff member. “It was really easy, and we have seen real results,” says Gennum Corp.’s Randall Mileski. 28 | SIGnature | Bluetooth.org http://www.bluetooth.com/Bluetooth/Connect/Products http://Bluetooth.com http://Bluetooth.org http://Bluetooth.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Signature - Q4, 2007

Signature - Q4, 2007 Contents The Road Ahead Getting Noticed In the News Keeping the Edge Why Wibree? The Message Zone Do You Compute? Command Center Mountain Magic On the Fast Track Give or Get? Groundsurf’s Up! Get in the Game Get on the List Number, Please! User-Friendly The Tell-Tale Car

Signature - Q4, 2007

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.